Just for One Day
by redgrass-and-silvertrees
Summary: "We could be Heroes, Just for One Day." A series of one-shots in the Batman universe ranging from the silly to the serious to the heartfelt. Little snippets in the life of our favorite vigilante family.
1. Switched

**Things would be more like this if I owned _Batman_**

* * *

"Hey Dick, I need your help with something." Tim asked while he walked into the front parlor.

"It's Jason you prat," came the gruff response from the tall antique chair.

"Oh sorry Jay," Tim hummed, about to walk out of the room and go find Dick when he paused. Hold on, rewind, look again. He turned around to find that he hadn't made a mistake. That _was_ Dick Grayson, former circus acrobat and oldest Bat brother, clad in Jason's slightly-too-big leather jacket, a white t-shirt and black jeans. He even had an unlit cigarette perched teasingly between his lips. He gave a very poor imitation of Jay's usual rakish grin, mostly because it was obvious Dick was trying not to burst out laughing.

"Why are you wearing Jason's clothes Dick?" Tim asks robotically, wondering why he didn't run for the hills once he got a taste of how bizarre this family was when he was still a young, naïve Robin. Dick pulled a pair of dark sunglasses out of the jacket pocket and put them on with less than his usual grace.

"I'm not Golden Boy, Bird Brain." Dick responds in a gravely voice. "It's me, Jason, the second Robin, who thinks he's so hated despite that fact that he's loved and missed by pretty much everyone. Have I mentioned that I died that one time? there's a quota us undead boys must make. I also use guns like a total tool, because I am quote, unquote _a bad boy_." He pulled out a small water pistol and sprayed a little at Tim. "Pew, pew, Replacement." Tim squinted his eyes. there was something going on here, something insane and ridiculous and he wanted no part of it.

"Alright, Jason, let me know when you're feeling more like yourself again. When you see Dick, tell him I'll be down in the Cave avoiding whatever this is. I want his advice on the Penguin case before I move forward with my plan."

"Okay Timmy, I'll be down in a bit." Dick chirped before coughing and lazily crossed his arms as he slouched in the chair. "I mean uh leather and pain are the only friends I've ever known."

XxX

"Grayson! Pennyworth is busy so I need you to drive me to Doctor Thompkins for my physical." Damian shouted, stomping around looking for the eldest Robin. "My biology has been perfected by science and technology so it's not like this is necessary but Father is insisting." He walked into the kitchen where he caught a glimpse of his older brother riffling through the fridge. "Did you hear me? I'm more than willing to drive myself but I know Father would be displeased with you and you get pathetically weepy when he's angry at you." Damian grumbles as he taps his foot.

"Just hold on Dami-baby," a slightly off key sing song voice replies. "I need to eat my fifth bowl of cereal this morning because it's the only thing I eat because it gives me an aura of a handsome but careless teenager I never grew out of." Damian blinks as Grayson, no Todd, pulls himself out of the fridge. He's wearing one of Grayson's shirts that's far too tight on him and a pair of WE sweatpants. He's smiling too but it looks like it's causing him great pain. "Don't worry, I'll drive you, you obnoxious little demon that I somehow like because you're basically a smaller version of Bruce that I can control and give all the love I was denied as a child in this miserable house."

Damian took a step backwards. Todd hadn't seemed any different when they'd patrolled last night. In fact, Damin was fairly sure, Todd didn't follow them back to the Manor. He and Grayson had had something of a tiff halfway through their route. And now he's wearing Grayson's clothes and acting like him, Damian squints suspiciously.

"Did you kill Grayson in a fit of rage and think dressing up like him will prevent us from noticing?" Damian thinks he would be upset if Todd really had killed Grayson but it's the only reasonable explanation he has for this trainwreck. "Where did you hide the body? Is Drake in on this too?" Todd clicks his tongue and flaps his hand in a poor attempt to mimic Nightwing.

"Silly Dami, you just don't recognize me because I normally keep up this silly pretense of being perfect and wholesome all the time when, really, I'm just as big a mess as everyone else but I don't even have the decency to act like it." He takes a step forward and Damian takes two back. Todd smiles wickedly, not one of Grayson's but one of his own. "Now come give your big brother a big ol' squishy hug." Damian had fled the room before Todd could finish the sentence.

XxX

"Do you think it's safe to come out?" Damian asks, angry at Grayson, at Todd, at his entire life that had led to this moment where he hiding under a pile of blankets with Drake of all people. He wishes sweet death would come for him already. Tim peeks quietly outside the blankets before hiding back beneath the pile.

"I can still hear them talking," Tim whispers. "They're still acting like each other and doing ridiculous pantomimes." Damian groans, but softly, he doesn't want to give away their position after all.

"Do you think we should attack? Make them end this foolishness?" Tim purses his lips before shaking his head.

"I wouldn't risk it. Jason, or Dick uh Jason who is pretending to be Dick, is looking for you, wanting to give you, and I quote, _super lovely big brother hugs of affection_. And Dick who is Jason still has those water guns and is coming to 'gun me down'. I think we're better off where we are." Damian lets his head hit the floor.

"I hate you people."

* * *

Hey y'all, it's been a while since I posted so I figure I might as well introduce this collection that's been building for awhile. This is just going to be a simple one-shot collection within the Batman universe (though potential other Batman/DC related universes as well). This will not update regularly unlike my other stories but just whenever ideas come. I still will post other, more thought out one-shots and I'm once again working on another longer Batman story so I'm hoping to make some headway before grad school starts. Enjoy!


	2. A Break

**That disaster known as _the Killing Joke_ movie would not have happened if I owned DC**

* * *

Conner knew this was strange. He knew this was probably going to get him in trouble with the Justice League. He also knew that he was a clone grown in a pod and his boyfriend pretended he was a songbird. So, really, everything was relative.

There'd been a fight downtown Metropolis, nothing earth-shattering but it had been a long drawn out battle and even the indestructible half-Kryptonian was feeling a bit stiff and sore. And if he was feeling that beat, God only knows how Tim felt. They were atop the Daily Planet, curled up together with their feet over the edge. It probably wasn't the best idea for the unofficial sons of the two most famous heroes on the planet to be canoodling on top of a building filled with reporters. But Tim was so tired he could barely stay awake much less move and Conner had wanted a little time with his man without the others giving him grief. So, here they sat watching a large group of reporters take pictures of them in compromising positions. He could already see the tabloids; Batman was _so_ going to kill him.

Tim sighed and nuzzled a little closer so his head was resting comfortably on Conner's shoulder and a few wayward strands of his hair were tickling the clone's nose. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow but Conner knew better than to assume that a Bat wouldn't be alert and aware of his surrounding. Conner suspected that Tim, like himself, just was too tired to care about the consequences at the moment. The clone sighed right back and rubbed Tim's arm gently and placed a soft kiss on top of his head. Hey, if people were watching them might as well make it good. He didn't want it getting around that he was a bad boyfriend.

Tim's head slowly lifted and moved so that their faces were just inches apart. It was incredibly alluring and he imagined it looked that way too judging by the increased activity 80 stories below. Tim snaked a gloved hand around the back of Conner's neck and gently pulled him down until Tim's lips were ghosting on top of his own. His fingers delicately played with the hair on his neck causing the clone to shiver slightly. Tim's lips twitched upward slightly against own.

"If I don't get a strong cup of coffee within the next 90 seconds I will pull out my Kryptonite ring and beat you senseless on live TV then mail the broken pieces of you to Luther." Tim said in a voice completely void of emotion despite the incredibly provocative position they were currently in. Conner couldn't help the amused snort. The reporters below were probably speculating what loving words of adoration the human was saying to his alien partner. They couldn't possibly know it was just Tim being Tim and that Conner wouldn't have him any other way. He was also running out of time; Tim was _always_ serious when it came to his coffee. He leaned forward and completed the kiss before gathering the disaster that was his boyfriend into his arms and lifting them both off the building.

"I think I saw a shop still standing a few blocks away," Conner answered giving Tim a moment to secure himself before the flight. Below, the reporters continued their frenzy. Let them. Let them speculate on the mysterious Robin and the powerful Superboy. They could focus on the glamour of capes and forbidden love, that left room for Tim and Conner to be themselves and enjoy the other's company.

"For your sake there better be. Now come on, you only have 47 second remaining."

* * *

Ok so I said no regular updates but I have a lot of these queued so I might as well share. I choose this one to highlight a couple of points. One, Tim Drake is my absolute favorite and you can expect a good number of Tim Drake prompts because he is my son and I love him. Two, yes I ship Timkon but this is about as risqué as I get. I'm not really into smut/romance so don't expect a lot, mostly Timkon, Dickbabs, possibly BruceTalia but that's about it. I'm excited by the reception the first chapter got, I hope you all continue to enjoy.


	3. Gentlemen

**Just let the Bats be happy please DC**

* * *

"Ok son, I need you to sit up straight." Bruce instructed calmly trying not to groan in aggravation as Jason instead chose to sink further into his chair. It would be a sign of weakness, one that Jason would take as a victory in this long drawn out battle. "Jason please, you need to work with me here." Jason stuck out his lip in a pout.

"I don't see why I have to," the boy murmured and Bruce rolled his eyes to the heavens. Martha Wayne would have a fit if she saw her adopted grandson behave so childishly in an antique chair.

"Because the Wayne Foundation is putting on it's annual charity ball and you need to have a very basic concept of manners in order to attend. You've been hiding in the house for nearly three months now, you need to make your debut to society eventually." Jason snorted carelessly, giving his own generous eye roll. This was proving to be more difficult than he'd thought, it hadn't been a cake walk with Dick either but at least the boy had tried.

"Jay, I understand that this is new and unfamiliar and, I'll be square with you, I hate all this pomp and circumstance myself. But it's part of a legacy I inherited from my parents, one of the only things I have left of them and so I need to do my part to uphold it. Since I took you in, you became a part of this family and that means you have certain responsibilities such as behaving when in public." Jay wrung his lips nervously.

"Ok yeah but I don't see why I gotta do all this crap. You know that no matter what I do, they're all going to laugh at me. I don't want them to think I'm just your cute little side project, some joking attempt to turn a dirty street rat into a proper aristocrat, because… It's not like that B, you like me even if I can't tell which fork is which, right?" Jay asked, looking up with trepidation.

Bruce frowned and knelt down to Jason's level, placing his hand on the boy's tiny knees. "Jay, no of course not. I like you because you're clever in ways I could never be, you're insightful and passionate and everything I could ever hope for in a partner." Despite his best efforts, a small smile appeared on Jason's face so Bruce pressed on. "I'm not going to deny that people are probably going to say nasty things about you, even to your face. Dick went through that himself growing up and I can't imagine things will have much improved. But they don't know you boys like I do, they don't see that you're worth ten of those boring society bores who's only contribution to society is gossip and petty squabbles." He stood up and held out his hand, pleased when Jay put his much smaller one in it. He pulled the boy out of his slump.

"There's always going to people who think they're better than you Jason, no matter what circles you run in, but you can't let the fear of discrimination stop you from trying. There's more to being a gentleman than looking cool and handsome, it's about being honorable and intelligent and brave in the face of danger. All things Robin would need to know, but more importantly, things every man needs to succeed in life." He said, giving Jay a little twirl eliciting a quiet chuckle.

"So it's your job to prove them wrong, to show just how much a gentleman you can be. I'll show you the boring parts you just need to know, how to talk the talk and walk the walk. But I do expect you to take the more important lessons to heart if you truly want to grow into a good man." He looked down at his boy and was pleased to see the sour look had gone, replaced instead by that determination that had first interested Bruce. Just because he was looking so dashing in his nice shirt and pants, Bruce leaned down and gave Jay's cheek a little pat.

"Are we ready to try again Mr. Todd? Mr. Pennyworth has prepared lunch for us in the dining hall, it will be an excellent opportunity to practice your skills." Jay squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest as if going to war. A sly sort of look danced across his face.

"Will there be dessert afterwards?" He asked only for Bruce to look scandalized.

"Why Mr. Todd, it would be downright shameful to deny a gentleman his dessert after he's been working so hard and successfully beating back all the annoyances and blowhards he needs to deal with." The two of them linked arms and laughed all the way to the dining room.

* * *

This one is awfully cute, probably a little too cute for someone like Bruce but cut me some slack. This came from a tumblr prompt of Bruce "playfully patting Jay's cheek" and the story kind of spun out from that. I hope that you enjoy, I'll be going to see Suicide Squad tonight so I'm real excited for that!


	4. Family Photos

**When will DC show Bruce as the grumpy, but good dad we know he is?**

* * *

"Oh! Mr. Grayson, good morning, sir! We weren't expecting you in today. Is there something I can get you? Coffee? Tea? I can have breakfast brought up for you." Bruce's flustered secretary chirped nervously as Dick casually exited the elevator. It took all of his training not to roll his eyes all the way up to the Watchtower. This is one of the reasons he didn't come to Wayne Enterprises all that often; being simultaneously fawned over/feared as The Boss's Son had gotten old really quickly. But Damian needed some important school forms signed and Bruce would be leaving for a meeting in Star City in a couple of hours.

"No it's fine Gloria, I won't be here long, I just need to borrow Bruce for a second. Is he in?" Still looking somewhat like a deer in the headlights, Gloria shook her head.

"No sir, Mr. Wayne is discussing the upcoming business trip with Mr. Fox. But I'm sure he'll be back very soon. Would you like to wait for him in his office?" She titters nervously. Dick shrugged, not much else he could do.

"Sure, that'll be fine. No, don't get up, I have it. Tell Bruce I'm waiting for him and I'm in a bit of a hurry." He said, holding up his hand when Gloria rose to get the door for him. Honestly, just because he was adopted by a billionaire didn't make him royalty. He opened and closed the door quickly, leaning heavily against it and letting out a long sigh. Damian had better appreciate all the work Dick was doing to ensure he could go on his class trip to the Zoo.

Dick took in the room and realized two things. One, it had been a while since Dick had been in Bruce's office. Two, was that there were more pictures decorating the walls and tables than should be allowed in one space. There were certainly more pictures up than there had been last time he was here. A lot more.

Dick blinked owlishly as he looked around the office, at the walls covered in various pictures of his friends and adopted family. Even Bruce's desk was packed to the brim with various pictures in frames or stuck to the monitor of his computer. How could he even get any work done with the amount of room those frames took up? He looked at one sweet picture of Bruce and Cass dancing at one of the WE charity events. There's another of Tim shaking hands with some foreign dignitary after closing some big deal with Bruce beaming proudly behind him. Dick smirked as he paused on an old, old picture of him and Bruce on a fishing trip. Man, he couldn't have been more than ten at the time. Things had been so easy back then.

He thinks back to when he was younger, when Bruce would drag Dick down to office just because he had no place else to put the precocious child. He remembers how big and empty this place had seemed, with only a fichus plant in the corner to liven the room up. Now it seemed to be bursting with love of not just his weird adopted family, but there were a picture of the Daily Planet reporters and one of Leslie Thompkins at her clinic. Even an old, well-loved picture of Bruce's parents graced the desk as if to prove how far Bruce had come.

"Dick, what are you doing here?" Dick jumped as Bruce's voice somehow appeared right next to his ear. His adopted father gave him a look that was half amused and half annoyed. "Your training is slipping. I hope there's no emergency. I already had to push off this meeting one time due to Damian's ear infection and we can't afford to do it again." Dick laughed suddenly, wondering just when that cold and bitter man he had met at a circus had become such a good person and father. "What's so funny?" Bruce asks suspiciously.

"Nothing, nothing, here just sign this and Damian will able to go to the zoo. I'll tell him to take pictures so you can add it to your collection."

* * *

Another dumb shot for the collection, the prompt being 'Bruce has a large collection of pictures of his kids'. I find the idea of Bruce just constantly adding new pictures and not taking any down until the point of ridiculousness adorably hilarious.


	5. Slowing Down

**More happiness in the Batman universe**

* * *

Movies say that when you're in the middle a fight, time seems to slow down. For Tim, it's just the opposite; everything seems to go even faster, punches are thrown, shots are fired in in such rapid succession that it's almost impossible to keep track. Except that Tim loves it, it's times like these that it feels like the rest of the world has finally caught up to his brain.

The Ghost Dragons and the Devil Pigs had become embroiled in a bitter turf while he'd been away training in Paris and he'd come back to find half of Gotham City in shambles. As much as Bruce wanted to continue training him before involving him in such a big conflict; they really did need all hands on deck for this one. Tim dodges a flying thug that Nightwing has tossed but Tim is too busy with his own fight to check in on the older man. Dick has been doing this a lot longer than he has, he can take care of himself.

But Bruce on the other hand... Tim spins on his heels to kick in a guy's jaw, trying and see where Batman has gone. They're still very new to their partnership. Tim was only Robin for a few weeks before he was off to Paris and he's still worried for the state of his mentor. He became Robin to protect Batman, to save him from himself, and he hasn't been here long enough to help. He sees Bruce in the periphery punching guys one after another, Tim is about to turn away and resume his own battles when he hears an ominous click amongst the chaos.

There, off to the side hidden in the shadows, is a young boy in gang colors with a Colt .9 mm in his tiny hands. He raises the heavy weapon with shaking arms and aims it directly at Bruce's back. And time doesn't slow like the movies say, he sees the gun barrel recoil back as the trigger is pulled, he hears his quick, ragged breath as he crosses the small distance between him and Bruce who isn't even paying attention. This is why he needs a Robin, why he need Jas-

"Batman, look out!" He vaguely hears himself shout, hyperaware of all the activities but most of all of his body slamming into Bruce's and a sharp raging pain burning a fire into his side. He stumbles, tripping foolishly over himself as he loses his balance and falls into Batman.

"Robin!" He hears the man shout, a panicked, guttural cry that shakes Tim slightly out of stupor. The fight is still going on, he can hear Nightwing making his way over, he's been shot. He takes a deep breath as Batman presses hard onto the wound in his abdomen. "No, not again, not so soon, I cant deal with this again." He hears Bruce mutter under his breath, sounding barely in control himself. "Nightwing, we're leaving. Now."

And Tim learned enough to Paris to recognize that he's starting to go into shock from all the pain and activity. Everything around him is too much, too loud so he squeezes his eyes shut as Bruce injects something into his neck, probably some sort of painkilling sedative. It must have been pretty powerful because everything becomes sort of washed out after that, long and painfully slow. The feel of Batman grappling them to safety. Nightwing's shaking fingers in his hair. Hushed whispers over him occasionally rising into rapid, wired arguments before simmering down again. He hates the slowness, how will he ever catch up to Bruce if everything is dragging him down.

"Tim," he hears and he struggles to open his eyes and answer the voice. People never call for him, if he doesn't answer they just might leave him forever. "It's alright Tim, relax, you're safe. You're in the Cave, you're going to be just fine." There's a hand on his cheek, a hand, not a glove or armor, but actual human skin. It's nice, Tim decides.

"Alfred had to pull the bullet out, it was tangled in the tendons of your oblique muscles. There shouldn't be any long term damage but you'll be in physical therapy for a few months." Tim scrunches up his nose at all the words and information he thinks he's supposed to understand but he can't get the words to settle into his brain and he loses them. As the warm hand moves up and starts running through his hair, he decides it doesn't really matter.

"You can't ever do that to me again Timothy." The voice warns sternly. "You," the voice stops as if gather up courage. "You told me that Batman needed a Robin but you got it all wrong Tim, I don't need a Robin, I need you. All you boys, your brightness and dedication and spirit, that's what I need son. You gave it back to me, after Jason and I will sooner take that cape from you then have to put another boy in the ground." There's a tight grip on his hair before it's relaxed and a soft sigh fills the air.

"I've never been good with expressing myself to others, especially about these sorts of things. It's probably why I can talk to you now, when you can't even hear me." The hand retreats and settles on Tim's shoulder giving him a gentle squeeze. "We'll talk about this later, when you're feeling better. But I want you to know that no matter how I may seem, I am very proud of you and I'm glad you came into our lives. Sleep well Tim, we'll be here when you wake up." The words wash over Tim, like a wave, coating him in warmth and love. He feels acceptance, something he's strived for all his life, as if he's finally found the place where he belongs. But the feeling fades like the tide as his mind loses hold of the words and their significance and he's lost again to unconsciousness. Bruce won't say those words again, but that doesn't make them any less true.

* * *

I figured I did enough cutesy ones in a row I might as well throw in a little angst. I've gotten a lot of prompts for Tim on tumblr, specifically dark Tim, so you can be expecting some of that soon. Don't worry, there's plenty of cute left and I'll put warnings at the top for the especially dark ones.


	6. What Goes Around

**Not mine**

* * *

It's 10pm on a Saturday night, it's dark and gloomy with a hushed chill in the winter air, a perfect night for crime. And instead Damian Wayne, original Robin, former Nightwing, current Batman, is sitting at his computer waiting. There will be no patrol for him or his young partner tonight, for today is his late father's birthday and the whole family will be celebrating it. If they show up that is.

Father never enjoyed his birthday when he was alive and, aside from the obligatory society parties, Damian never recalled there being any form of celebration in all the years he'd lived at Wayne Manor. Without turning his head, Damian looks over at the ten year old reason for this incongruous party. Grayson is sitting a few feet away on the floor of the Cave, humming some obnoxiously cheery pop song while he finishes coloring the decorations for the party. No one had expected Dick Grayson to appear in their lives, a spur of the moment addition to the family just months before Father passed. Damian least of all was expecting the energetic, charming boy to have wormed his way into Damian's worn and bitter heart. So when Grayson had approached him with large, sad eyes about celebrating Father's first birthday since death; well Damian couldn't bring himself to refuse the boy. He wonders once more if that warm unfamiliar feeling in his chest when he looks at his unofficial charge is love, and decides again that he'll never really know. The original Batman had never been one for the softer emotions.

But the real problem Damian faces is not the emotional conflict over his late Father's death, no, Damian had already grieved the man's passing and was honoring him was continuing his legacy. The real quandary was how to soften the blow for Richard when his party isn't as joyful as he had planned. Because despite the fact that they were a team and, most of them, related via adoption; they were a poor parody of a happy family. It would break his Robin's heart, who had his loving parents stolen too soon, when he realized just how broken the Bats really were.

"Master Damian, Young Master Dick," Pennyworth's prim and proper voice said breaking through the quiet. "Master Jason has arrived with Miss Stephanie, they are waiting in the parlor f you would so kind as to join them." Damian smirked quietly; age certainly hasn't dulled the old man's sarcasm, if anything its gotten worse since Damian was a child. "Miss Cassandra sends her regrets that she cannot join this evening, but she hopes to back in the country within the next few months." Of course she wouldn't come; she wouldn't see the point in celebrating a dead man's birth. He'd been hoping she might have come anyway, if only to see him. Damian runs his hand down his face as he stands up. At least Todd and Brown showed up, maybe they've finally forgiven him for everything that's come to pass. Or perhaps they're only here because Grayson was incredibly persuasive when he had a mind to be, speaking of which.

"Did ya hear that Dami? Jay and Steph are here! Come on let's go, we can't keep them waiting." The boy cheered, stuffing his crafts under one arm while the other snaked around Damian's neck as he settled onto his favorite perch with his legs wrapped around Batman's torso.

"I did indeed hear that, my ears aren't damaged after all," He teases stiffly as he walks towards the stairs with his little brother hanging onto his back. "Neither was I aware that your legs were broken given your tendency to bounce around all the time, can't you walk up by yourself just once?" Because he needs to ask, to pretend he has some semblance of authority in this relationship, to act as if the little boy doesn't have the Batman wrapped around his finger.

"I can't help it if you give the best rides. You're so tall; I feel like I can see the whole world from up here." Grayson said, poking his head forward to rest on Damian's shoulder. He hadn't been here long but Damian swore he wouldn't let anything happen to Dick; he would die before he let anything happen to his younger brother. He would never suffer Drake's fate.

"Hey Dami, do you think Bruce is proud of us? Do you think he'd approve of our partnership?" Grayson asks quietly just before they enter the parlor where already he can hear Todd and Brown arguing like only the best of friends can. "I mean I know I'm still new to this, but am I as good a Robin as you and the others?" He continues in a rare show of bashfulness as he slips back down to the floor.

"Of course Richard," Damian replies softly as he sets a gentle hand on the younger boy's back. "You are an admirable partner and an ever better brother. You've changed this house for the better, if you don't believe me then why don't you check out the parlor." Grayson sighs softly, leaning back into Damian's touch for a moment before racing off to greet the others with his usual exuberance.

"You realize of course that Master Wayne isn't just proud of the young Master," Alfred said coming to stand next to his eldest grandson. "He once told me that you were his greatest accomplishment, how despite your mother's attempts to turn you into a killer, you still chose the path of righteousness. I believe I speak for everyone when I say you're doing a marvelous job as Batman and head of the household, after all you and your father have endured, no one deserves the title more." Damian snorted irritably, a habit from his childhood he couldn't seem to break.

"While I admire the intent, I doubt Father had anything kind to say about my actions. He never liked that I spent the early years of my life training in the deadly arts. We were always at each other's throats about philosophies and fighting styles. I may have been his son in blood but our relationship was always difficult." Damian sighed as he leaned stepped forward and leaned in the doorway, watching how easily Dick interacted with the other Bats. He was sitting comfortably in Brown's lap, wildly flailing his arms as he tells some story. "I tried to be a good son but all I seem to do is ruin the family he tried to create."

"I unintentionally drove Cassandra away due to my desire for a relationship. You know he blamed me until the day he died for what happened to Drake; accused me of not stepping in to give emotional support when he was unable to. Todd lost any respect he had for me when I chose Grayson over him for my Robin and Brown has always done things her own way."

"And yet," Pennyworth says gently, mirroring Damian's earlier action with Dick by placing a gloved hand on his back. "Here they are Master Damian, you haven't ruined anything. Miss Cassandra needs time to sort out her own feelings and Master Jason holds you in the highest regard; his petty feud with you fades as he and the Master Dick settle more firmly into your roles. We've all made mistakes but you have learned from yours and dealt with them honestly which is more than your father ever did."

"I didn't know you were one to speak ill of the dead, Pennyworth," Damian intones dryly, already feeling a little lighter.

"And I never knew you to engage in something as droll as self-doubt," the butler quickly responded back. "Now off you go, this is a time for celebration, not a time for reflection. Go entertain your guests, if we're very lucky, Master Timothy will stop being so obstinate and join us for a spell." The older man huffed, clearly still bitter over the fact that Drake hadn't visited once since his miraculous resurrection. If Damian hadn't known of Grandfather's fascination with Drake, he just might have dismissed Mother's claim that the Demon's Head had brought his brother back to life. He'll track Drake down one of these days, but for now…

"Come on Dami!" Dick shouted, leaping off Stephanie's lap and rushing forward to grab his hand. "Alfred's gonna brig out Bruce's cake and we all need to sing Happy Birthday so he can hear it in heaven!"

"Alright, I'm coming but don't expect me to sing."

* * *

Hey yo, happy Wednesday here's one that a mix of happy and sad because the next time I post, I'll be feeling happy/sad over starting Grad school! Anyway, got a prompt for the Reverse Robin AU (reverse the age/appearance order of the Batkids) and I'd been waiting to get my grubby fingers into that pie. I did a follow up in which I address the issue of Tim aka the Red Hood which I'll put up sometime. I still wanna talk about Red Robin Jason but I'll have to wait for that idea to form a little more before I write it. Hope you like it!


	7. Scaly Panties

**If I owned _Batman_ , there'd be a lot more humor**

* * *

Hood hated when he had to fight alongside Bats. Aside from the fact that it massively brought down his street cred; sometimes working with them could be painful. It's sickening how easy it is to fall back into their ranks, to sync up with his so called brothers having endured and embraced the same hellish training. He works at Bruce side without thought, holding point for the Bat like he never left. Yes, those moment hurt but there's more than one way to get hurt.

"Goddamit!" He cursed, jerking back his injured leg while the Replacement groaned in annoyance but pulled back his equipment regardless. "Are you trying to get me killed? Again?" He barks, watching as the kid continues to gaze at him with irritation and boredom. See? Brat used to shake in his boots at the sight of Jay and now he's _bored_ by him.

"Your leg needs stitches and since you refuse to let us take you back to base, I have to do it here in front of all your friends." Robin deadpans as he leans forward, adding more antiseptic before continuing to stitch together the large gash in Jason's leg. Jay grits his teeth and growls but he won't give the brat the satisfaction of acknowledging his pain. He hates this, but it's better than letting it get infected and dying. He would know.

The Scarecrow and Hatter had teamed up once more for another mad cap scheme to poison the city by infecting children's toys and if there's one thing he hates more than family reunions, it's dead kids. Bats is over talking to Gordon, presumably trying to prevent him from arresting Jay for his many, many criminal exploits. Doesn't matter, as soon as the kid finishing sewing him the Red Hood is going to be long gone.

"Could be worse Little Wing," Nightwing says, popping out from around the pile of beaten and handcuffed henchmen. "At least your legs have better protection with the armor, that wound could have killed you in your last costume." He teases with a shit-eating grin. After a heartbeat, the Replacement ducks his head but Jason can hear the quiet chuckles coming from him. What the hell, his last costume?

Oh… _Oh_

He means his old Robin get-up. Yellow cape. Pixie boots. Scaly underwear.

"You shut your mouth Wingding; don't forget you wore that fashion travesty yourself. Hell, you invented that shit costume. It's your fault I had to wear a hand-me-down uniform that looked straight out of the funny pages!" He gripes probably a bit too loud because he becomes aware of the sudden silence around them as he's gathered other people's attention. But Dick doesn't appear fazed as he saunters over to them and lays a gentle arm around his shoulder.

"Oh but you really brought that costume to life, little brother. I mean you were much bigger than I was at that age, with such beautiful, muscular thighs. You really made the green underwear work for you." One finger striped hand landed on Robin's head. "Our poor baby bird just couldn't compete with the legacy of your magnificent legs, Dad had to give him proper pants, isn't that right Robbie?"

"Absolutely, my legs are too skinny to pull it off, had to give the short pants back to Aquaman." At this point, Jason was all but blowing steam from his ears out of both rage and embarrassment. Dick was grinning like the cat that ate the canary and Tim was quickly finishing tying off the stitches with a quiet, but visible smile on his face. Off to the side, he hears the henchmen whispering to each other. Clearly questioning the liberal use of danger words like _brother, dad,_ and _underwear_. He's sure the Bat will understand when he breaks his promise to not murder family members.

He lunches out from his perch, Dick giggling as he runs away while Tim had ducked just before Jay leapt having already cut the string and started sprinting in the opposite direction. Deciding that his older brother was the more prominent threat, Jason races after Wing who squeaks when he notices how close Jay is approaching.

"Come on Hood!" He huffs while he dodges a punch, "I was just trying to distract you from the pain. I bet you didn't even feel Rob putting in those last couple of stitches, did you?" And dammit he manages to look sincere even while he's grinning like an asshole. "You really shouldn't run on that leg, besides B hates it when we fight!"

Gordon looks over as the two young men continue arguing and dancing around each other while Robin goes high and appears to be watching the show from above. The Dark Knight appears unconcerned by the ruckus his two (three?) sons are causing behind him, as if he's become used to his sort of wild behavior. Jim thinks he beginning to understand what the man sees in the Red Hood, why he's working so hard to protect him.

"Do you, ah, need to take care of that?" Gordon asks quietly as he watches Nightwing dodge a series of quick, deadly looking jabs easily while he continues bantering. Batman gives him a long suffering look that all father's wear at some point.

"They'll be dealt with later when scrapbooks showing the three boys in some questionable costumes and embarrassing positions are left out for them." The man answers, "it's good for character."

* * *

Just some good old fashioned fun, prompt was Batman embarrassing Red Hood about his Robin years and I cheated cause it's Dick really being embarrassing but there's a follow up in which Bats pulls out the photos to shame his sons. It's so great being a writer and being able to type out ridiculous scenarios like this. Enjoy y'all!


	8. The Last Laugh

**If I owned Batman, Tim would always be safe and happy**

* * *

"Do you have visual on the robbers Nightwing?" Bruce's gravelly voice says through his earpiece. Dick isn't really listening though, he's sitting on a rooftop in the pouring rain, looking in through a skylight at the scene below. It was supposed to be easy, he had no idea when he heard the museum alarm go off that this is what they would find. The small part of his brain that still clings to sanity tells him shouldn't look anymore but the rest of him can't bring himself to lower the binoculars. He can't turn away from this monster he helped create.

"Dick?" Barbara's voice asks through the comm which causes brings him back to reality. He's still angry at Bruce, probably always will be, but Babs... he can't ignore her, not after everything that happened.

"Yeah, I've got visual. We've got clowns, three of them." He mutters back as he finally puts down his binoculars. "The whole family out on a trip." He says softly to himself, hoping the others can't hear him. This is going to be hard enough without him bringing moral down. Barbara whimpers quietly before silencing herself and Bruce, well of course Bruce can't be bothered with something as trivial as emotion.

"What do you think they're after?" Batgirl says after she takes a moment to collect herself.

"The museum is hosting a gem exhibit, including the recently returned Harlequinn diamond which has been on tour abroad for the past year." Batman supplies mechanically. "Harley's already made one attempt on it several years before, it seems she's going after it again."

"Right, what's the plan? How are we going to do this?" Nightwing asks because someone has to. "We go in, throw around some quips, knock some heads but then what? What are we going to do about _him_?" He hisses, turning away from the scene.

"We've been over this, Nightwing. We can't help him unless he's willing to accept our help," Batman responds harshly. "Until that time, we will treat him just like any other criminal." He says as he readies his equipment to jump down and break up the robbery.

"Oh yeah cause he's just like the others," Nightwing bites back bitterly as he readies himself. He knows there's no point in arguing with the Bat over this and they're going to need all their wits about them. "Ready when you are B." He says listlessly as fires his grapple and follows Batman as he smashes through the glass.

"Freeze, Joker," Batman says frostily, straightening himself up to his full height as he looms over Joker and Harley and the ghastly grinning child between them, a ghost of different times. Joker grins widely and comically searched the area.

"Freeze? Why I don't see Victor around anywhere, just me, the old lady and junior here." He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a gun. "And of course I never leave home ole Uncle Smith here." He laughed, firing the shots wildly forcing Batman to duck and retreat while Harley grabbed the child's hand and ran down a long hallway while the Bat was distracted.

"It's over Harley," Batgirl said dropping in front of them. "Please give me an excuse to beat you into a coma." She hissed out while Nightwing settled behind the pair, cutting off their escape. Harley made a face.

"Mommy doesn't have time for this," She pulled a gun out of her purse and dropped it into the boy's hands. "Sweetie, take care of this for me while I get to work." She said sweetly, gently patting the boy's dyed green hair before sprinting around Batgirl.

"Hey you," Barbara barked, turning to grab Harley when a bullet into her left arm put her onto the ground. She cried out and gripped her wounded arm as Joker Junior stumbled forward with that same crazed, empty look and painful grin he always seemed to wear. The wound in her arm was nothing compared to the wound in her soul looking at the blank stare of the boy who was practically her little brother.

"Tim, please," she said pitifully as Joker Junior stepped forward, aiming the gun directly at her head. Nightwing darted forward but she held up her hand. "We can save you Tim. You have to let us help you Timmy, please." She says as tears prickle in the corner of her eyes watching as the boy stepped forward until the barrel of the gun knocked against her forehead. Tim wasn't even looking at her; wide unfocused eyes just stared listlessly as he chuckled quietly under his breath.

His fingers twitched on the trigger before Nightwing stepped forward, grabbing the gun out the boy's limp hands and knocking him out with the other. He caught Tim in a muddled heap, gingerly lowering the former Robin to the ground. He took a moment to grimace unhappily at what had become to Tim as he combed his gloved hand through the kid's unnaturally colored hair. If only he'd been there for the boy, been a better brother…

"Dick," she whispers softly putting her hands on her boyfriend's shoulders. "We'll get there. He only grazed me, he could have killed me while I was distracted but he didn't. We're getting through to him, slowly but surely. We just need to keep supporting him, loving him, so that he can find his way back to us one day." Dick's face contorted into barely controlled pain before leaning down and kissing Tim's pale, chalky skin.

"Just hang in there Little Wing, we'll make this right again. I promise." They sat there in silence until Batman appeared before him with a dark, snarling expression on his face.

"We need to leave, Joker and Harley have been neutralized and the police will be here soon." Nightwing glanced down at the blood staining his mentor's gloves. "They're alive." Batman ground out at his partner's expression, "but just barely." He said, his voice rough like crushed glass. His whole demeanor changed when his eyes fell on Tim, the anger leaking out of his face and he leaned down and scooped the unconscious boy back into his arms with a tenderness most people wouldn't associate with Batman.

"I'll take him back to Arkham; Leslie has been doing weekly sessions with him and she said they'd been making progress. Hopefully this hasn't set him back too far." He whispered softly into Tim's neon green hair. Nightwing and Batgirl exchanged a look before backing up.

"We'll finish the patrol for the night B; you just get him back safely." Barbara said, grabbing Nightwing's hand and pulling him away from the grieving parent. "Let him know that we love him." Bruce nodded and let himself hold his boy close, pretending that none of this awful mess had happened, that Tim was still bright and sarcastic and full of life.

"He knows that Batgirl, somewhere deep in his mind, he knows."

* * *

In honor of Detective Comics giving Tim a hard time, no spoilers, here's Tim in a very unhappy situation. This is a BTAS AU, specifically regarding Return of the Joker, where DCAU Tim is kidnapped by the Joker and driven insane through chemicals and torture. Some angst lover suggested an AU where Tim wasn't 'cured' right away and the Bats had to deal with a mentally unstable Joker Jr for awhile longer. How awful. Sorry I skipped last week, I forgot.


	9. Ghosts Like Us

**If I owned _Batman_ , the _Young Justice_ comics would get more appreciation**

* * *

 _*If you're completely unsure of Young Justice comics, maybe skip to the author's note for a quick intro to help you out*_

"Secret? Is everything alright?" Secret turned to look over at Robin as he shifted gracefully out of the shadows and sat next to her on the roof. "I hope I didn't scare you, it's kinda hard to turn off the sneakiness." He shrugged casually with a gentle little smile that she was already a little in love with. As good as he was; he was still mortal. He, nor any living soul, could never truly sneak up on her. Her eyes darted briefly to the center of his chest where she could see, _feel_ , his life essence thrumming within him. She wonders briefly if seeing other people's life force is so easy for her because she's keenly aware that her own is missing in stark comparison. She smiles back and tucks a strand of wisp like hair behind her ear as if it were real and Robin couldn't see right through her, literally.

"Oh no, it's fine. I was just enjoying the sunset," she said softly, turning again to face the sun as it sank lower in the sky. "I didn't have much of a view while I was a prisoner with the DEO; I'd forgotten how beautiful it was." Robin hummed slightly as they sat in silence while the sun began its final descent.

"So you had a life before the DEO? I thought you said you'd always been there?" He questioned lightly because that's what Robin does, question and consider everything. It's what makes him such a good leader. Secret squirms slightly and her mist clings closer to her, like a protective blanket.

"You say _'life_ '," she teased gently trying to play off her discomfort. His eyes widened behind his mask and an adorable blush ran up his neck onto his face.

"Oh jeez, I'm such an idiot, I didn't mean-"

"I know Robin, it's okay." Secret closed her eyes. "To be honest, I don't really know myself. I-I don't have any memories outside of the DEO but, I remember songs from the radio, I know what ice creams tastes like, I know how pretty a sunset is and that it's my favorite time of day." She sighs softly, not out of necessity but for the moment it gives her to collect herself.

"I can feel… like there was something before the DEO but I'm not sure I want to know what it is. I mean, that must sound silly, not wanting to know about myself but I'm just so afraid of what I'll find." She looks down at her hands, pale and shifting, barely able to stay solid and incapable of feeling. "I'm afraid of what happened to me to make me like this."

"No Secret, that's perfectly reasonable and not silly at all." Robin soothes quietly next to her; the sun is almost down and the shadows are covering his face but she can feel his sincerity. "I can understand that you're afraid but we're here for you now. You're part of the team Secret, as long as you want to be and if you decide you want to find out what came before, I can promise we'll be there to help and support you." Within the emptiness inside of her, she feels warmth as tears prickle in the corners of her eyes.

"Thank you Robin," she whispers as the sun finally disappears and they're covered in darkness. "You, you've all been so kind to me. I can't believe you'd be so open and kind to a ghost like me, aren't you afraid of me? Even a little?" She whispers self-consciously.

"I've only been doing this hero thing for a few months now and I've seen things a lot scarier than ghosts and I can tell you right now most of those threats are human." His voice is light but there's an undercut of somberness to it. It makes her wonder what exactly happens over there in Gotham, what Robin does when he's not with the Team. "Besides, I guess I feel like I can relate to how you feel. Sometimes I feel like a ghost too."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked incredulously because how can this living, breathing boy sit here and compare their situations?

"Woah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean any offence it's just," a frustrated sigh escapes his lips. "I don't know how far your knowledge goes but, I'm not the first kid to be Robin to Batman. You've heard us talk about Nightwing; he was the first, the best arguably and then there was..." Robin puts his head in his hands. "Okay, can you keep this a secret? It's really important and Batman will have my head if he knows I told anyone and I don't want the Team knowing about this."

"Secrets are in my name… so this second Robin, did he..." She trails off cautiously.

"Die? Yeah, he got beaten half to death by the Joker before being blown up in a warehouse. Batman says he used the last bit of his strength to save his mother, that even at the end he was still fighting the good fight." There's so much longing and sadness in his voice that the last of her anger leeches out of her. Death, that seems to be the only thing she really understands.

"I'm so sorry Robin," she murmurs as he lightly shrugs.

"Don't feel bad for me, I didn't know him. I used to watch him and Batman from a distance, follow them around with a camera. He was so amazing Secret, I wish you could've seen what a real Robin looks like in action, it's something else." He responds with a quiet sort of awe in his voice that confuses her.

"A real Robin? I don't get it, _you're_ Robin." She questions as he brings his knees up and hugs them to his chest.

"I'm nobody, a temporary placeholder for someone who could never be replaced. Ja- that other Robin was like Batman's son, I'm just some dumb kid who wandered into the part. Here I am, wearing a dead boy's costume, using his name like it's my own, trying to be as easy and outstanding as he was and falling short every time." He turned away from her, putting his chin on top of his knees. "Batman needs a Robin but he doesn't need _me_. I'm a living ghost. People look at me and they see the costume; they see everything _he_ was and I'm just standing in that long shadow behind him."

"Robin," she whispers while Robin just shakes his head and uncurls himself.

"Look, I didn't mean to drop all that on you. It's got nothing to do with you, I'm sorry, that comparison was in poor taste. Come on, the guys are probably wondering where we're at." He deflects as he gets to his feet. "I mean, for however long I'm here, however long Batman lets me wear the mask; I'm going to my best for the Team and maybe save a few people along the way. That should be enough for anyone, right?"

She reached out and grabbed his wrist, making herself as solid as she could but he could still easily pass through her grip. She looks up at him with his face shrouded in darkness and can feel the same sort of loneliness she lives with every day. She supposes there are many different kinds of ghosts.

"I don't know much about Batman, but you're the only Robin I've ever known and I think you're pretty amazing. This Team needs you, not the other Robin and not Nightwing, _you_. We may both be ghosts but we still have a choice in how real we are. You can stay in the dead boy's shadow, or you can step out of it and be your own hero." His other gloved hand reaches over and rests delicately on top of her hand.

"Thanks Secret, really," Robin replies warmly. "And the same goes for you too. You're not defined by the DEO or by whatever happened before; you're our friend and our teammate before everything else. I guess we can help each other become less like ghosts and more like people." His care and his attention towards her is intoxicating, she wishes it could be like this all the time. Just her and Robin, two living ghosts who understand loneliness and death and how it can tear people apart, or bring them together.

"Yeah," she sniffles. "Let's become real people together."

* * *

Hey, been holding onto this one for awhile cause I'm fond of it but I felt like posting it today. Crash course in the Young Justice comics: done in the 90's-00's put Superboy, Impulse and Tim Robin on a team, less organized than the Titans and much freer reign with some good and bad results. There were many great characters, Wonder Girl, Arrowette, eventually Empress and (S)Lobo but my fav was Secret, a dead, mist-like ghost girl who struggled with her humanity and her connection with death. She crushed on Tim so hard and as I read the comics, it struck me how easy it was to parallel Secret, a literal ghost to Tim Robin, who often felt like he was a ghost living in Jason's shadow. So here we are. If you get the chance, read YJ! It's absurd and poignant and can go from weird to heartfelt in a panel with a truly wonderful cast you get to see grow.


	10. Second Chances

**I just want them to get along**

* * *

Bruce wanted to know why these types of problems always happened to him and his family. When he first donned the cape and cowl he never expected to be up against such unusual and bizarre circumstances, such as fatherhood… but having his 10 year old turned into a baby is a bit strange too. It's shocking to see Damian so small, with chubby little hands and cheeks, he looks almost innocent. That illusion was quickly swept away by the baby's perpetual fussiness, constant low level whining and a stubborn wrinkle in his brow Bruce notes Damian still has even at his proper age.

"You're holding him wrong B, you got to support his head." Jason comments from the other side of the room, sounding like every word was a challenge. "He's your kid, not a bomb; you need to stop acting like you're about to throw him at some supervillain."

"I have experience holding children Jason, this should be no different." Bruce warned as Damian squirmed and continued to cry in his arms. He made a face, usually the children he dealt with weren't this difficult. Jason sighed and stalked over to them.

"Well first off, no matter what you say, it's always different with your own kid; it's always more important. Second, he is your son so is it really any surprise he's a contrary pain in the ass?" Jay throws out, not even asking before scooping the baby out of his arms. He clicks his tongue at Damian and bounces him gently until Damian finally begins to settle down. Jason smirks and makes little faces as he lets Dami grab at his fingers.

"You're good at that," Bruce observes, taking in every detail for further study from Jay's posture and hold to the soft, contented smile on his face. Jason shrugs self-consciously.

"Kids are easy, they're small and they don't know anything. You just need to make them comfortable and safe. There are tons of little kids hanging 'round the Alley and you have to make sure they were quiet and out of the way or you wouldn't see them again." He replies lightly but his eyes have sharpened and Bruce doubts that Jay will be giving up Damian any time soon. "So off you go, old man."

"Excuse me?"

"You don't want to be here, being domestic while Wing and the Replacement are running around investigating whatever the hell happened to the Brat. We both know you never cared for the whole parenting thing and you like it even less when the kids can't even take care of themselves." Jason answered, his voice harsh and bitter but his face was soft as he continued bouncing the baby. "So go put on your suit and go punch someone in the face, it's what you enjoy and what you're good at. I'll keep the little Demon safe while you're gone."

"Jason," Bruce says quietly, feeling like he's gone back in time and Jason is 15 again, yelling at him for not bothering to understand the boy's problems. The more time that passes, the more he realizes that nothing had really changed when Jason came back to life. They still had the same troubles and arguments just with much higher stakes. "It's not like that," he says weakly which earns him an eyeroll.

"It never is, now get. I think Alfie pulled out your old crib and it's about time for baby D to catch some Z's." He turns his back to Bruce and it's like Jason is leaving his life once more, telling him that it's time to step up once and for all.

"You're right," Bruce says suddenly, reaching out to grab Jason's arm. "This isn't easy for me, it never has been and I know I've made more mistakes than not but I will never stop trying and I will not ever walk away from you, from any of you." He squeezed Jay's arm. "He is my son, I want to be there for... like I wasn't there for you. Please, show me what I need to do, tell me how to help and I will do it." He glances down at the baby before looking back up and holding Jason's gaze, trying to convey the feelings he hates to acknowledge.

"Uh," Jason replied intelligently, looking for words. "Let's go upstairs, I'll show you how to hold him, put him in the crib and then," he pauses, "maybe we can talk, like for real this time." Bruce smiles at that and manages to coax a small smirk from Jay in return. It's a step, a small step, but it's something.

"Alright, hand him over. I never got this chance when Damian really was this age, I might as well try and make up for it now. It's not every day we get second chances." Jay snorts at this but very gently hands Damian over, rearranging Bruce's arms until the baby is relaxed in his father's arms.

"This family is so weird," the boy mutters as he shakes his head.

* * *

Prompt for this one was "Jason and Bruce bond over a turned-into-a-baby Damian" which I think I accomplished, making I cute but also somewhat within character. I don't know, I hope you like it.


	11. First Date

**I don't own the brilliant DCAU either**

* * *

Tim loved being able to patrol on his own, he still went out with B or Wing most nights but usually once a week he was allowed to go solo for a few hours. Bruce couldn't have boughten a better birthday present. It had been a slow night tonight: he'd stopped a gang of muggers, strongly discouraged a couple of teens from illegally buying liquor and brought down a dirty cop, nothing too monumental but that fact that he'd done it all on his own made him feel as big as the Bat himself.

He's perched on the top of the Gotham Life building now, it getting close to 3 am which is his mandated time to be back at the cave. He figures he can get in one more swing across town; if he starts now, he can take the long way back to the Cave and be back before anyone can get their feathers ruffled. He pulls out his grapple and enjoys the freefall for a few seconds before beginning his route. Man, this was the best, no other kid got to do stuff like this.

A flash of movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He redirected his swing and rolled gently onto the roof where he saw the movement. Slipping into the shadows, he creeps forward until he spots his target. Some freak dressed up in a purple and black costume, sitting on the roof's edge with a pair of binoculars and a collection of snacks around them. They may have a lousy sense of fashion, but at least they're prepared.

"If you're bird watching, you're only going to find Bats and Robins at this time of night." He teases and delights as the person starts and shrieks quite loudly leading to two surprises. One, the shriek was loud and incredibly high pitched, a girl's scream. Two, the girl wasn't as foolish as he first thought cause she instantly spun around and decked him hard enough to send him flying.

"You scared me half to death you jerk!" The girl said as she gathered up her things. She sounded more angry, no trace of remorse or far, even as Robin is still seeing stars from her punch. "You almost ruined everything! He could have heard us and then I'd have never found him again! Thanks a lot boy blunder!" She shouts as she takes a running leap and jumps over to the next roof. Tim shakes his head and groans in aggravation, who does this girl think she is? Batgirl?

"Who's getting away?" He asks running after her, easily able to catch up to her. She may be spunky but she's not half as athletic as he is. She has no business running around on rooftops in a costume without training, so why is she here? He grabs her arm and forces her to stop, keeping far enough back that she can't hit him again. "Look I'm sorry for scaring you, but with that punch we're even. Now tell me what's up or I'll calling in the big guy and trust me, he's not as friendly as I am."

The girls huffs as she forcefully yanks her arm away but she doesn't look like she's going to run again so he lets her. "Look, I was trying to do this without involving any of you people, but you might as well help me if you're here." She mutters going through her bag until she pulls out a picture. "This is Cluemaster, a cheap Riddler knock-off. He's a total tool, thinks he's so clever but he's just another con man. I uh got some intel that he'd be trying to break into the Gotham bank and since you Bats don't have a 1-800 number, I figured I'd grab him myself. He's been holed up here with his gang for the last three days but I think tonight's the night of the heist, they've been preparing a van and guns all night."

Tim's eyebrows are so high up he's surprised they haven't flown off his face. "So you just magically acquired information about a possible criminal heist?" The girl nods secretively, "and you didn't think of just, I don't know, _calling the police_ like anyone else?" Tim can sense her rolling her eyes underneath her mask.

"It's not like he's the Joker or anything, just another lowlife trying to take the easy way out. The police have bigger fish to fry, so I thought I'd take him out, the hard way." She adds, thumping her fist into her other palm with such confidence, Tim thinks he's a little bit in love with this crazy girl. "You in bird boy, or does the little Robin need to be back at his nest?" She teases as she takes another running start and lands on the roof next to them. She turns back flirtily and poses just for him. He's certain this girl is going to get him killed and he can't bring himself to be all that upset about that.

"What do I call you? I'm guessing you won't give me your name."

"I can't let you have your way all the time bird boy." He hears the girl chuckle lightly behind her mask and cocks her head to the side in mock though. "I guess you could say my name is something of a spoiler, and since we're about to spoil the night of a bunch of lowlifes, why don't you call me The Spoiler." Even with her face covered, he can feel her grinning. "Now are you coming or what?" She teases as she turns and runs across the roof. Tim grins and shakes his head.

"Robin to Batcave," Tim says into his comm unit, "come in Batcave."

"Hey Little Wing, it's nearly 3 and your tracker says you're nowhere near the Cave. You better have a good excuse for not being halfway here already." Nightwing says condescendingly as he's trying to play the big brother role for a change. Tim smirks and leaps off the building and does an impressive triple flip for his new friend, just to show off. The girl gives a little laugh and keeps going in the direction of the bank.

"I have a source that says the Gotham Bank is going to be robbed by Cluemaster. We're going to check it out, tell B I'll be a little late."

"We? Who's with you?" Dick asks as Tim continues to chase after her.

"Oh just me and my date."

* * *

Sorry, it's been a hell of a semester. Prompt for this one was 'Stephanie in the DCAU' universe which I quite enjoyed writing. No matter the universe, I think there always ought to be a Robin and Spoiler running around being bros. Hope you like it. EDIT: made Stephanie Brown AKA the Spoiler's identity more clear! Thanks TangyCitrus for the alert, I totally didn't even notice.


	12. Charades

**I can own Tim, Kon and Bart if they don't exist**

* * *

"If you have something to say, you might as well say it," Robin said as he continued typing away at the computer, seemingly unconcerned that Superboy and Impulse were angrily hovering, literally in Conner's case, behind him. "It's not like the Team and Nightwing haven't already given me their opinion on the matter."

"The Matter!?" Conner sputtered indignantly, turning as red as his costume with rage. He couldn't believe this kid! He was so unbelievably angry that he couldn't formulate any words beyond that. Beside him, Bart was nearly vibrating with indignation that it's amazing he hadn't started phasing into the floor. He grabbed the back of Tim's chair and spun it around so the Boy Wonder was facing them, looking at Tim's annoyed face, covered in bruises and burn marks with one arm in a sling only served to further anger Conner. If Cassie hadn't gotten there in time, they'd be yelling at a grave and not a criminally underwhelmed idiot.

"You," Conner hissed, unable to get any further because his chest felt constricted by the thought of how close it had been. He didn't have many friends and he almost lost one the best ones he had. Any words he wanted, needed, to say felt unreasonably heavy because he knows he almost didn't get the chance to say them at all. "You!"

"Me?" Tim asks raising an eyebrow, the other had been almost completely burned off. Conner takes a step back to prevent himself from smacking Tim into the 34th century. So frustrated, he begins to flail his hands about, mimicking the fire which had almost stolen their leader from them. Tim makes a face.

"Jazz hands? Are we doing a musical number?" Conner smacks his head and points roughly at Tim. Tim puts his fingertips together and puts them on his lip, like he always does when he's trying to work out some puzzle.

"You want _me_ to do jazz hands?" Next to him, Bart begins miming too, making weird hand motions that Conner can't even begin to decipher. Apparently, neither can Tim. "Wait, is that a shark? Are there sharks around? Are we watching _Jaws_?" Getting more annoyed by the second, Conner makes exploding sounds and signals how Tim had almost choked to death on the smoke because he had been an utter and complete idiot. Bart was still off doing his own thing.

"Shark explosion? You want to go swimming? Is this some elaborate allegory for sea life preservation? What are you trying to say?" Finally, so angry he's about to burst, Conner steps forward and grabs Tim as gently as he can by the shoulders.

"You! You almost died dude! You almost blew into a bajillion smithereens and where would the Team be without our dumb leader? Where would Bart and I be without our best bro? You were sad and angry when your mom died, did it ever occur to you that we would be just as upset if that happened to you?" Conner gave Tim a shake. "When are you going to realize that you are important to us you numbskull!?"

Tim blinked up at him, looking suddenly very small and upset. It maybe was a bit of a low blow bringing up his dead mom but if it got him to listen then fine. Maybe then he'll be a little more careful with his life if he realizes how much other people treasure it.

"I'm sorry Conner, Bart, I uh I didn't think of it that way. I'll try to remember that." Tim responded quietly and Conner huffed with pleasure as he let go. He thinks this is the first time he's ever got one over on Tim. "But uh, why didn't you just say that in the first place? What was with all the hand waving and whatever Bart's doing?"

"Well I was so mad at you I couldn't get the words, and Bart! What the heck are you doing man?" Bart stopped flapped his arms like a chicken and blinked at them.

"Oh I thought we were doing charades to cheer Tim up."

* * *

Hey there friends, it's been awhile. I got massively wrapped up with school and other projects that I just... completely forgot about this. I still have a bunch of stories all saved and ready for posting. If I go too long between updates again just send me a little poke.


	13. Grief

**nope**

* * *

"Conner," Tim's voice says quietly from behind him but Kon isn't listening. Usually he always listens to Tim but right now he doesn't really want to listen to anyone. He knows what they're going to say, but they're wrong. He doesn't need a break, he's not tired and he's certainly not giving up hope. When that building came down there was 3,852 people inside according to the records. They've only been able to find, dead or alive, a little more than 2,000. Some only in pieces.

There's so many people still buried under the rubble, people he might be able to save if he could just get to them. He can't stop now. It's so quiet at the site, the only heartbeats he can hear are on the surface. He grunts as he moves another broken beam, he tells himself that it's the lead in the building preventing him from hearing them.

"Conner, please," Tim says, stepping a little closer this time. "I know this is hard to hear, but there's nothing you can do. Mongul crashed into this building pretty hard, wiped out 8 floors immediately before he flew out and destabilized the whole building." He takes a few more steps closer. "We've had multiple people confirm that there's no life beneath the debris Kon, everyone we could save, has already been removed. There's no one left." Tim finishes quietly, setting a light hand on Conner's shoulder.

"Well what do you know?" Conner demands, shrugging off Tim's hand to glare at him. Both of them are covered in soot and grime not just from digging through the crash site but from the fight earlier. "You're just a stupid human, you can't possibly know for sure that there isn't someone down there! They could be dying this very second while you're here wasting my time." Conner turning his back on his friend and continuing his frantic digging. He realizes that he hasn't looked over Tim for injury but he knows without looking that Tim isn't badly hurt, his vitals are too steady. The only reason he's probably still here is because Kon won't leave.

"I might not have your super strength or your keen senses," Tim begins softly. "But I've been in enough graveyards to know what one feels like." Conner pants as he comes across a large section of wall that refuses to move. He puts his whole body into it, struggling and straining to move the damn thing but it won't budge. He leans against the wall, pounding angrily on it. Why won't it move? Why can't he find any survivors? He was a hero, it was his job to save lives. So far he hasn't really done much of anything. Again, he feels Tim behind him, soothingly rubbing circles on his back as Conner sinks to his knees in despair.

"I'm sorry Kon, sometimes, as much as it hurts, sometimes there's just nothing you can do. When my folks were kidnapped, when Jason came back as a killer, there are so many bad things we can't prevent, no matter how hard we try." Kon turned up to face his best friend, his rock, the one person who makes sense in his life.

"It's not fair," he says lamely, rubbing at his eyes. "We're supposed to save people." Tim kneels down next to him and leans into Conner's shoulder.

"I know Kon, we saved everyone we could. You helped tremendously, there's so many people who owe you their lives. Celebrate their victory, not this defeat."

Conner squeezes his eyes shut as he no longer wants to look at this twisted mess of metal and mayhem. He pulls Tim closer and replaces the smell of metallic death with the comforting aroma of Tim's hair and the underlying scent of coconut from his shampoo. Tim's heartbeat, breathing and quiet murmurs of assurance are the only sounds he allow himself to hear. He holds his friend closer to him, because he couldn't save these people today but he'll always be there to keep Tim safe. Because if he didn't have Tim there to steady him, Conner would never know when to stop digging for hopes that will never be fulfilled.

* * *

If it hasn't been completely obvious that I have a hard bias for the YJ/TT team, especially Tim Drake, here's your sign. Looking over the remaining stories, I'm noticing how most all of them star or feature Timmy so... sorry about that. This one ended up pretty heavy, I think the original prompt was 'Tim comforts Kon' and it got kinda dark. Still, hope you like it.


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